What are Guildleves?

[normalforce]

Unless I'm missing something, and I'm not the type to skip cutscenes or spam enter through dialogue, here's what doesn't make sense about guildleves:

• Weak connection to lore: the individual leves seem to exist just arbitrarily without connection to each other. If a guy needs me to supply parts for his ship, then weapons for his ship, then armor for his ship, why doesn't he ever sail? Or remember that I've made him stuff like fifty times now?
• NPCs have no sense of importance: "kill some rabbits" and "assist in the capture of a dangerous fugitive in a sting we've been preparing for months" are equally important and can be trusted to just anyone who shows up?
• No progression: adventurers don't build reputation, so any leve is available to anyone regardless of skill or experience.
• No need for progression: I'll just kill the same 6 goats every day because you keep paying for it.
• Weak connection with lore: the existence of the guildleve system is not adequately explained or justified.

I think there are some very important points made here (it was a bit too long to quote the entire thing) that needs to be considered.

To me, here's a perfect example of a meaningless guildleve because it has a weak connection with the lore.

Save the Lettuce, Save the World
A flock of game dodos has begun devouring the crops of La Noscean lettuce farmers living near Camp Bloodshore. Attempts by the local militia to drive off the ravenous cloudkin have resulted in numerous injuries and the untimely death of a one-eyed tracking hound. Travel to the area and eliminate the dodos before they can cause further damage.

Farmers, really? I haven't seen any out there. In fact, I haven't seen a single settlements, or any indication that anyone is living out there. The closest establishment is Wineport and that itself is a dull and lifeless town.

Would it hurt to have a little continuity in the game? Maybe the farmer's settlement can be seen off in the distance, up the cliffs a way. Some sort of indication that the game has life outside walls of text.

And just from the descriptions of the leves alone, it seems like the world is teeming with life and rich in culture. But then the leve starts and it turns out to be just a mindless kill fest. Just another soulless leve to rush through so I can get to the 7 others after it.

I honestly don't think it would have been hard to make the leves something more compelling. Take Save the Lettuce, as an example.

After starting the quest, one of the militia steps out of the tent and explains their current predicament. In the background, an old man sobs, a collar tightly clutched in his hand. He makes a personal plea for you to kill those damned dodos and avenge his dearly departed dog.

Renewed with purpose, you find and dispatch these diabolical dodos. You turn around just in time to see the milita, farmers and old man come up and thank you for your assistance. Two people step forward, one holding a puppy, and they hand it to over to the old man. They tell him, while it has two good eyes, it was born with a bad nose and it can't "smell no good". But the old man doesn't care as he cradles the puppy to his chest, tearfully thanking the people, and the heartwarming scene ends with everyone celebrating.